The Billionaire's Unexpected Love

CHAPTER 5

The tension in Alex's body language was palpable; it was as though he were forcefully rushing Lily, Grace, and James out of the coffee shop. There was just an air of command to him—one had very little to argue or complain about. So, they followed him without a word. Outside, the sun had barely climbed, spilling very long shadows down onto the pavement. Heavily charged, the atmosphere was.

"What in the name of all that's good and holy is going on, Alex?" James asked, very sincerely bewildered. "Why do we have to go this instant?"

His jaw clenched, and now he was looking out toward the street. His eyes flicked all over the place. "Carrington's not one to bluff," he said again, this time in little more than a whisper. "He's got resources, connections. If he's after us, we can't afford to hang around in one place too long."

A cold knot began to form in her stomach. Only then did the full weight of her predicament really seep in, and Alex looked so serious. She glanced at him for a second, reading his expression—it was just set in determination.

They had reached a shiny black SUV properly parked along the curb. Alex clicked his key fob, and the car doors unlocked. "Get in," was said—the tone of his voice brooked no argument.

As soon as they pulled up outside, Alex slipped behind the driver's wheel and assumed an air of authority, of power. Beside him was Lily; Grace and James grabbed the back seat. The SUV roared under Alex as soon as he pulled out from the curb, his eyes flicking toward the rear view mirror.

The car was silent for some strained moments as the city whizzed by them— a jumbled blur of towering buildings and crowded streets. She snatched a glance at Alex, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, but his energy was incredibly potent, self-assured— so far away from the turmoil they were leaving behind.

"Where are we going?" Grace finally interrupted, her voice laced with concern.

"Some place safe," Alex said, voice flat. "From there, Carrington will have a hard time finding us." He whirled again, this time turning to Lily, his expression softening for a fleeting second. "You understand, Lil, by some bizarre happenstance that trouble has a way of finding me."

There was something about Alex's words that reassured her, even with the danger lacing them. She nodded, her fear now mixed with that odd sense of comfort in his presence. "I trust you," she said softly and looked into his eyes.

James lurched forward, frowning, into the moment. "Alex, you still haven't explained who Carrington is and why he's after you."

Alex sighed heavily, as though he were considering just how much information he was going to unleash. "Carrington and I have a—complicated history," he began. "He used to be a business partner—a ruthless one. We parted ways after some—irreconcilable differences. He's been trying to undermine me ever since."

Mm, charming company he must be. Oh, how I'd hate to be him," Grace muttered, earning a stiff, pretentious chuckle from James.

"He is dangerous," Alex went on, deadpanning past it being funny. "And he doesn't really care who he has to use to get his way." He looked back at her, his face serious. "That's why he just might come after you. He knows you're important to me."

Warmth and fear surged up in Lily. Important: to Alex. That could mean so much in a good or bad way. She just looked out the window, watching them pass from the city into more suburban surroundings. They were speeding out, away from the chaos of the city.

Without warning, Alex's phone buzzed in his pocket. He peered down at the screen, his face tightening with suddenly controlled anger. "Damn it," he muttered.

Lily's heart began to race. "What is it?" she asked, worry beginning to get noticed in her voice.

"Carrington's men," Alex said, his voice tight. "They've spotted us. We need to shake them off."

With this, he floored the accelerator, and the SUV jolted forward. Lily turned around to see if a shiny black car was following them and gaining on them quickly. Her breath began to catch in her throat. The chase was on.

"One minute," Alex spoke, calm and commanding at once, making their SUV lurch into the flow, hastily jetting out again with the turning points so acute, it was almost magic. Each second lasted infinitely, the stretching tension within that vehicle was so tight.

Grace was gripping James's arm, her face pale. "This is insane," she whispered very quietly.

Her eyes stayed riveted on the side mirror as the chase car continued to hang with them. Her thoughts were racing, and it felt as though panic wanted its say. And then she looked over at Alex, who sat there, his focus unwavering in his eyes. Self-assurance and control—those two big things that so far seemed to be holding up in the middle of such a great mess.

They zoomed into a small alley, then Alex made a sharp turn into a less-travelled street. Their pursuer didn't turn in with the same conviction and fell behind by a few seconds. Alex floored it again, cutting a turn.

For one fitful moment, they thought they had lost their followers. The road ahead was deserted, the silence from inside no less resounding. But just as relief began seeping in, from the shadows once again emerged another hulk of a vehicle to block their path—an older, armor-plated SUV with tinted, impenetrable windows.

Again, Alex floored the brakes, and the SUV came to a screeching stop. They were surrounded. The tension is almost suffocating.

"Remain here," Alex ordered in a voice so low and menacing as the ripple of a death-adder's hiss. His hand was on the door handle as he swung it open, his face impossible to read. "I'll handle this."

Lily's heart balled up in her chest with nervous energy, things starting to spiral out of control; the stakes were getting higher. Young Alex stepped out of their vehicle into the face of danger, and she could not rid herself of a feeling that they stood on the brink of something monumental, something that could change it all.

When Alex was near the armored SUV, the side door opened, and out came a man. All of a sudden, Lily felt a chill in her blood. She had known this before—it was that one figure, perhaps from a phase in her life that always spoke in riddles. His face twisted into a smirk as his eyes gleamed with some hidden knowledge, and he locked eyes with Alex. "Long time no see," he said, malice evident in his voice. "Let's see how far you'll go for that bitch."